the day after the deal was announced a spokesman from the US lumber lobby was on As it happens cbc radio. He didnt think it was a good deal (astoundingly) but would support it anyway. With $1billion in illegally imposed tarrifs being given over to the US lumber lobby?
and Canada being limited to only 33% (any trade over and above would have an export tax) same if the Canadian $ dropped, of if 'market conditions changed'

it is and was a bad deal. After repeated Nafta rulings that the US sanctions were illegal there was only one more appeal avenue for the US and then they would either have to live up to the Free Trade Agreement that they signed - or let the world know that any such agreement isnt worth the napkin it is written on.
The fact is that the dispute process was working, the Nafta rulings got the US to reduce the tariff and was working towards a resolution.

But Harper, anxious to cosy up to Bush wanted to make a deal and right away. The main reason was that time was running out for the US - there was one more possible appeal with the Nafta panel.
so now that they announced a deal was made - all those years of effort were wasted. They can now say that Canada is backing out of the deal.

Harper accused former PM Martin of being a wimp on the issue.
If he had any balls he would impose an immediate tax on raw log export.
(funny that there never were any tarrifs on raw logs).
all the while sawmills are shutting down across the province.